A Prince George family has had its daily routine turned upside down by an aggressive form of childhood cancer that has stricken two-year-old Mavrik Turnbull.
He’s been diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma, which set off the growth of a large tumour that takes up much of his abdomen.
The four-inch cubic-shaped growth has wrapped itself around the main aortic artery that connects his heart to his legs and doctors can’t operate to remove it for another eight or 10 months until they are able to shrink the tumour using intensive chemotherapy.
After that, he faces radiation treatment to make sure it doesn’t came back.
Mavrik was flown by air ambulance on Oct. 26 to BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver, where he received his first of regular chemotherapy treatments that will keep him hospitalized there for the next 18-24 months.
Now into his fourth day of treatment, Mavrik had a positive day on Tuesday, Derek Turnbull said.
“He’s come off his pain meds, which is nice, and today he had a bit of energy and was up walking around and he was eating for the first time in 10 days,” said Derek.
“He was talking and was a little bit more coherent, which was fantastic, because sitting watching him sit in bed for 10 days was hard.”
Derek and Vanessa Turnbull, Mavrik’s parents, both work in career occupations and Vanessa, a Prince George native who works for the province as a child protection social worker, will likely be off work for the duration of Mavrik’s treatments.
Derek will have to take significant time off his job as a heavy-duty mechanic for Top Lift Enterprises for frequent trips to Vancouver while he remains in Prince George looking after his two daughters from a previous relationship, aged 11 and 12, and their German shepherd/great Dane dog Tikka.
“With the nature of this disease I also need to be around Mavrik during the hardest times,” said Derek, in a GoFundMe page post.
“My goal is to work as much as I can, with continuing to be able to support my family in Vancouver and in Prince George.”
His bosses at work said he can continue to run his crew of four in Prince George while working remotely and the company said it will offer him some work while he’s in Vancouver if he’s able.
“Some days I can’t, just because Mavrik’s immune system is super-low,” he said.
Derek says his son is a “happy little man” and a huge hockey fan who always has a mini-stick in his hand. He also attends Prince George Cougars games, where he especially likes spending time with Cougar mascot Rowdy Cat. Derek has also posted a few photos of Mavrik wearing a Leafs jersey.
“I’m a Leafs fan and I try to keep it open for him, so he’s not cursed like I am,” laughed Derek. “He can still pick any team he wants, as long as it’s not Boston.”
For now, Derek and Vanessa are staying close to the hospital at Ronald McDonald House but the funding is limited to a month and they will have to pay a fee to stay there after that, which Derek says he will. As a volunteer firefighter he also has access to Honour House in New Westminster, but that’s a 45-minute drive away from the hospital.
“I have been living in PG for the last 10 years, and have loved PG since moving here,” said Derek. “I love the community, the area, and my family. I also volunteer with the closest fire department to my area (Beaverly Fire Rescue).”
Derek and Vanessa are grateful for the donors who have come forward to support the family and are overwhelmed at the generosity of people who want to help Mavrik.
That’s fantastic,” he said.
“We are looking for this funding to go for the medications and chemotherapies that aren’t covered under Medicare, or our benefits, as well as standard living costs during Mavrik’s extended stay in Vancouver. I will be working as much as I can to pay for all the other bills, life expenses, flights for the kids to visit his brother, and accommodations in Vancouver and our place in Prince George.”
The two Prince George Carl’s Jr. burger restaurants at 2333 Westwood Dr. and 5541 Hartway Dr. have designated Saturday, Nov. 23 as Carl’s Jr. Fundraising Day. The owners plan to donate 10 per cent of proceeds received that day from each restaurant to help the Turnbull family.
As of Tuesday afternoon the Help Little Mavrik Battle Cancer Go Fund Me page has collected $28,425 and is closing in on the goal of $35,000.
